Ahead of World Bed-wetting Day on May 31 and in line with Mental Health Awareness Month, medical doctor Michael Mol has advocated for a more supportive and compassionate approach towards children who wet their beds.
One in six children aged between 5 and 10 in South Africa experience bed-wetting, with at least 50% globally facing punishment from their parents.
This punitive approach is not only counter-productive since bed-wetting is beyond the child's control, but it can also worsen the negative psychological effects of this condition.
Dr Mol emphasises the importance of ongoing support and encouragement, combined with conservative or proactive treatment methods, to help children manage bed-wetting effectively. In addition, he stresses that parents must understand the impact of bed-wetting on their child's mental well-being.
“While there are several physiological causes associated with bed-wetting; including low production of the hormone vasopressin during sleep, small bladder capacity, and poor sleep arousal, there is also a strong psychological component to consider. Secondary bed-wetting, which affects at least 25% of bed-wetters, is linked to high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression often brought on by divorce, parental disputes, bullying, and abuse,” said Mol.
According to studies, people who wet the bed are much more likely to experience depression, which can last well into adulthood. Dr Mol suggests techniques that are often seen as "conservative" to provide parents with useful strategies for reducing bed-wetting.
Fluid intake
Among these is encouraging fluid consumption during the day but ceasing it all together at least two hours before bedtime. Caffeinated beverages, such as energy drinks, hot chocolate, and cocoa, should not be given to kids by their parents.
Absorbent pants
Dr Mol recommends wearing absorbent pants as another method for relieving the emotional stress associated with bed-wetting. Underwear like DryNites® Pyjama Pants includes five absorbent layers to prevent leakage.
“The biggest benefit of using this method is its ability to alleviate some of the anxiety associated with the ‘unknown,’ or the possibility of wetting the bed, which can cause shame and embarrassment. It also helps ensure that children get a good night’s rest, which is key to their mental health and physical development.”
Parental role
Parents are advised against waking up a child after a few hours of sleep to use the loo, a practice known as 'lifting' in the medical community.
In general, this approach is unhelpful since it essentially encourages children to urinate at night rather than assisting them with developing night-time bladder control.
Alarm
Some of these involve installing bed-wetting alarms, which entails putting a moisture sensor in the child's pyjamas before bed.
In two-thirds of the cases, this approach works, and it can hasten the maturation of the brain-bladder link in kids. However, using it takes a lot of motivation and may interfere with the sleep patterns of parents and other household members.
Medication
The use of Desmopressin (DDAVP), a synthetic form of the vasopressin hormone administered as medication.
This approach directly targets one of the primary physiological causes of bed-wetting and has also shown to be effective in a significant number of instances.
“There is no blanket approach to bed-wetting that will work for all children. Treatment methods should be tailored to your child’s temperament, the needs of the household as well as how bed-wetting affects your child. Typically, a combination of conservative or proactive interventions, combined with mental health support and therapy provides the most effective relief,” highlighted Dr Mol.